Longhorns' comeback falls short as late shots don't drop

Imani McGee-Stafford fouled out in the final minute and had six points. UT hasn't won a second-round game since 2004.

Imani McGee-Stafford fouled out in the final minute and had six...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — After falling behind by nine points in the second half, Texas still had a chance to beat Maryland on the Terrapins' home floor in the game's final minute.

Chassidy Fussell, who finished her career as one of the Longhorns' top-10 all-time scorers, had a good look at a 3-pointer from the left wing with about 40 seconds left and Texas trailing by one. The ball rimmed out.

Express Newsletters

Get the latest news, sports and food features sent directly to your inbox.

After two Maryland free throws, Nekia Jones — who entered the game 20 for 40 from long range this season — worked for an open three that would've tied the game. Again, no dice.

The fifth-seeded Longhorns fell to the fourth-seeded Terrapins 69-64 Tuesday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Maryland (26-6) moves on to face top seed Tennessee in the Louisville Region, while UT (22-12) is done after trying to win a second-round game for the first time since 2004.

“I would want those same players to take those same shots,” Texas coach Karen Aston said. “In particular, the shot Chas got out of the timeout, it was exactly what we were looking for. The shot that 'Kia got was a great shot. We didn't have any more timeouts, so they improvised a little bit, and I thought that was a really good shot.”

The Longhorns were up against history at College Park — Maryland is now 18-3 in home games in the NCAA tournament.

At least Texas is trending in the right direction. After going 12-18 last year, the Longhorns returned this season to win a first-round game for the first time since 2008.

“Our entire goal is to grow,” said Enemkpali, a freshman who was all-Big 12, “and to get this program back to where it needed to be. And I feel like we're making steps towards that.”